Key-opening can.



F. RUDOI |PHI & S. TBVANDER.

KEY OPENING GAN. nrm'ourolw I'ILBD MAR. 30, 1907.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Wad-22266 66;

COLUMBIA PMNDQRAPH CO WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED sratrns PATENT orsion .FRANK RUDOLPHI, OF CHICAGO, AND. SWAN.TEVANIDER, O-F MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,' A CORPORATION OFnew JERSEY.

KEY-OPENING CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed March 30, 1907. Serial No. 365,492.

can comprising a sheet metal body having a seaming flange at its upperend and a cover having a seaming flange at its periphery or rim unitedby a double, or other folded seam without solder, to the seaming flangeof the body, and provided with an integral wide tongue, the flat or diskportion of the cover inside the seaming flange havlng d1- vergentweakened lines, so that the portlon of the cover between the weakenedlines of the seam so that a short section of the seam fold of the coverwill wind around the key along with the tongue and that portion of thecover between the divergent weakened lines; as we have discovered anddemonstrated by our experiments. The divergent weakened lines at theends thereof adjacent to the tongue, should be somewhat narrower apartthan the base portion of the tongue, so that when the tearing breaksthrough the seam folds such lines of tearing will run into the weakenedlines and follow the same. The weakened lines are not extended acrossthe seaming flange or seam fold portion of the cover, as the same wouldinterfere with the integrity of the folded seam and its hermetictightness.

Our invention further consists in the novel construction of parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shownand described.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a double seam key opening canembodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation; Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 are enlarged sectionalviews in whichthe thickness of the tin plate is greatly exaggerated, andshowing the double seam uniting the cover and can body in successivestages; Fig. 7 is an illustrative view showing the operation of openingthe can, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view, partly in section,illustrating the application of our invention to a drawn can ofrectangular form, such as is commonly used for putting up sardines.

In the drawing A represents the can body, having a seaming flange a atits upper end. The body A may havea ,side seam a and separate bottomhead A as indicated in Fig. 2, or it may be a drawn or seamless body, asindicated in Fig. 8, in which case the bottom head A is of courseintegral with the body. A

B is the cover, the same having a seaming flange Z7, which isinterfolded with the seaming flange a of the cover into a double seam orother folded seam C, capable of being made hermetically tight withoutsolder. The flat or disk portion of the cover B is preferablycountersunk, the countersunk wall fitting snugly in the mouth or upperend of the can body A.

The seaming flange Z) of the cover is provided with a wide integraltongue 6 preferably somewhat tapering, and preferably about an inch wideat its base portion Where it unites with and extends continuously fromthe seaming flange b of the cover. The flat or disk portion of the coveris also furnished with two divergent weakened lines 6 6 extending acrossthecover and united at their wider ends by a marginal weakened line 72The weakened lines 12 b may be formed in any suitable way as customarilyemployed in forming weakened lines for key opening cans, as by scoringor compressing the tin plate along such lines.

Preferably a raised stiffening rib b is provided adjacent to and outsideof the weakened lines 6 b. The weakened lines 6 6 do not extend acrossthe seam or the seaming flange of the cover, but preferably stop nearthe lower edge of the countersink wall 6 of the cover. The ends of theweakened lines 6 71 adjacent to the base of the tongue 6 are preferablysomewhat narrower apart than-the base of the tongue, as indicated in thedrawing, so that when the winding of the tongue about the key causes thetin plate to tear or break through the seam folds of the cover, asindicated in Fig. 7 at w, w, the lines of the tear or break through theseam folds will run into or fall Within the divergent weakened lines Z26 and the further tear thus follow along such lines.

We have demonstrated by our experiments that a wide integral tongue onthe seam flange of the cover will, in practice, effectually andsuccessfully cooperate with the other parts in all necessary respectsand that it not only does not interfere with the formation of a perfectand hermetically tight folded seam, but that it also enables the can tobe readily and successfully opened by tearing or breaking the stockacross the seam folds of the cover in winding the tongue about the keyF, in the usual manner of key opening cans.

We claim:

In a key opening can, the combination with a can body having a seamingflange, of a can cover having a seaming flange and provided with anintegral tongue having a wide base where the same joins the coverflange, said body and cover flanges being in terfolded to form a doubleseam and extending across the base portion of the tongue, said coverhaving a central flat portion located within the seaming flange andprovided with weakened or scored lines extending across said flatportion and located entirely within the double seam and ending indivergent lines, the terminals of said end portions being'locatedopposite the base of the tongue and spaced apart a distance less thanthe widthof the base of the tongue, said cover having also a raisedstiffening rib outside of and closely adjacent to said weakened orscored lines and terminating at the ends of said lines, substantially asspecified.

FRANK RUDOLPHI. SWVAN TEVANDER.

Witnesses EDMUND} ADGOOK, H. M. MUNDAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

